Inside the Team Room Episode 18: Politics and War

Who was putting up cell towers?

Hopin to see Luttrell on here soon

The video alludes to a phenomena of the cold war called “limited war”.  Korea was our first and some theorize it came about because of the fear of what total wars would result in with the development of nukes. 

An absolute debilitating impact of this fear is the self limiting phenomena that have characterized conflict since then.  Clarity in goals and means are rare today and the majority of the pain that lack of clarity causes is born by an increasingly smaller and smaller segment of the nation which has the negative impact of reinforcing “wishy washiness”. 

It seems only cataclysmic events like 911 create “opportunities” of clarity.  The Bush doctrine contrary to common opinion was a good move just like MAD and the Monroe Doctrine.  If you were a terrorist or helped terrorist you were our enemy.  That created huge dividends for the nation’s security without deploying troops.  Iran backed away from terror, Libya gave up WMD, Saudi Arabia cracked down on their most radical elements and sourcing terror without a single uniformed American taking up arms. 

That clarity dimmed under the constant bombardment of questioning Iraq in the most destructive ways and successfully characterizing the Bush doctrine as “cowboyism”.  In a desire to wrest political power some successfully miscommunicated, “being or helping terrorists will be bad for you” to “If you aren’t with us, does that really make you against us”.  Subsequently our foreign policy has floundered.

Warriors don’t give a crap but we should.  We’re the ones that go out with one hand tied behind our back and answering to JAG for every decision.  It’s a hell of a way to fight a war…    

Happy Veteran’s Day everyone!

I was looking at SOFREP today and had a bunch of thoughts I wanted to post on several stories but didn’t want to run the risk of spoiling the vibe or distracting from the efforts of many to make this day special.  That said, here are some observations.

Veteran’s Day is different than Memorial Day and I think America is one of the few countries to do it this way.  Around the world 11 Nov harkens back to the incredible loss of life WWI was on a global scale and the focus is on the fallen.  America went through this experience almost 50 years earlier after the Civil War when we created Memorial Day after 600,000 Americans died.  That day is specifically dedicated to commemorate America’s fallen.

Veteran’s Day is supposed to be focused on all vets.  Understandably, vets and Americans always remember the fallen first but too often it seems to stop there (not looking for personal affirmation here, I’ve had plenty).  We should all take some time to remember the nation’s 1% that have worn this nation’s uniform. 

Finally of course I understand this is SOFREP and where its focus is (it was that perceived focus that kept me away for close to a year as I was never special operations and have a much more general interest in military service).  I was happy to find everyone is welcome here and my concerns were ill founded.  I so wish there was a similar website dedicated to the conventional side or the simple unadorned grunt. (sigh)

Anyway, among all the well wishes and remembrances I’ll be the small voice that reminds folks in general that Special Ops makes up 2% of the active force and while their contribution is HUGE in comparison to their size there are many others out there who aren’t considered “special”.  Just don’t want them to be forgotten in all the celebration.

yea, these hollywood bullshitters criticize us for going in to iraq saying we should mind our own business, yet go to all these other countries, make up your fucking minds, either we help or mind our own business but not both

thanks for another inside the team room been looking forward to it for a while